1970 California gubernatorial election

1970 California gubernatorial election
November 3, 1970
 
Nominee Ronald Reagan Jesse Unruh
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 3,439,174 2,938,607
Percentage 52.84% 45.14%
Reagan:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Unruh:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      >90%
Governor before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Elected Governor

Ronald Reagan
Republican

The 1970 California gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970. The incumbent governor, Republican Ronald Reagan, won re-election over Democrat and Speaker of the Assembly Jesse Unruh. This would be the closest victory of Ronald Reagan's entire political career.

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ronald Reagan (incumbent) 1,906,568 100.00%
Total votes 1,906,568 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

  • Walter R. Buchanan
  • Jack W. Clapper
  • Florence E. Douglas, mayor of Vallejo since 1955[2]
  • Raymond L. Haight Jr., high school history teacher, anti-war advocate, and son of Raymond Haight[3]
  • Harry F. May
  • Eddie M. Ramirez, Boyle Heights (Los Angeles) pharmacist[4]
  • Joseph S. Ramos
  • Jesse M. Unruh, former Speaker of the California Assembly (1961–69) and Assemblyman from Marina del Rey
  • George H. Wagner
  • Samuel William Yorty, mayor of Los Angeles since 1961

Results

Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jesse M. Unruh 1,602,690 64.03%
Democratic Samuel William Yorty 659,494 26.35%
Democratic George H. Wagner 44,118 1.76%
Democratic Florence E. Douglas 43,456 1.74%
Democratic Walter R. Buchanan 40,192 1.61%
Democratic Eddie M. Ramirez 31,092 1.24%
Democratic Joseph S. Ramos 25,874 1.03%
Democratic Raymond L. Haight 20,328 0.81%
Democratic Harry F. May 19,471 0.78%
Democratic Jack W. Clapper 16,142 0.64%
Democratic Samuel A. Reeve (write-in) 3 0.00%
Total votes 2,502,861 100.00%

Other primaries

American Independent Party

American Independent primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
American Independent William K. Shearer 14,069 61.45%
American Independent Keith H. Greene 8,827 38.55%
Total votes 22,896 100.00%

Peace and Freedom Party

Peace and Freedom primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Peace and Freedom Ricardo Romo 6,214 63.52%
Peace and Freedom Warren E. Nielsen 3,569 36.48%
Total votes 9,783 100.00%

General election results

1970 California gubernatorial election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Ronald Reagan (incumbent) 3,439,664 52.84% −4.72%
Democratic Jesse M. Unruh 2,938,607 45.14% +2.87%
Peace and Freedom Ricardo Romo 65,954 1.01%
American Independent William K. Shearer 65,847 1.01%
Majority 501,057 7.70%
Total votes 6,510,072 100.00%
Republican hold Swing -7.58%

Results by county

County Ronald Reagan
Republican 		Jesse M. Unruh
Democratic 		Ricardo Romo
Peace & Freedom 		William K. Shearer
American Independent 		Margin Total votes cast[5]
# % # % # % # % # %
Alameda 162,727 43.05% 206,693 54.68% 5,591 1.48% 2,975 0.79% -43,966 -11.63% 377,986
Alpine 203 66.34% 89 29.08% 4 1.31% 10 3.27% 114 37.25% 306
Amador 2,866 53.12% 2,445 45.32% 28 0.52% 56 1.04% 421 7.80% 5,395
Butte 22,656 62.82% 12,558 34.82% 429 1.19% 420 1.16% 10,098 28.00% 36,063
Calaveras 3,499 63.10% 1,947 35.11% 44 0.79% 55 0.99% 1,552 27.99% 5,545
Colusa 2,302 57.69% 1,627 40.78% 26 0.65% 35 0.88% 675 16.92% 3,990
Contra Costa 106,965 53.15% 91,156 45.30% 1,323 0.66% 1,800 0.89% 15,809 7.86% 201,244
Del Norte 2,755 57.13% 1,977 41.00% 37 0.77% 53 1.10% 778 16.13% 4,822
El Dorado 7,932 56.59% 5,818 41.51% 65 0.46% 202 1.44% 2,114 15.08% 14,017
Fresno 60,644 48.74% 61,801 49.67% 752 0.60% 1,227 0.99% -1,157 -0.93% 124,424
Glenn 3,805 59.37% 2,482 38.73% 39 0.61% 83 1.30% 1,323 20.64% 6,409
Humboldt 16,778 51.12% 15,232 46.41% 400 1.22% 410 1.25% 1,546 4.71% 32,820
Imperial 10,636 58.47% 7,006 38.51% 352 1.93% 198 1.09% 3,630 19.95% 18,192
Inyo 4,006 63.50% 2,202 34.90% 43 0.68% 58 0.92% 1,804 28.59% 6,309
Kern 54,216 55.19% 41,768 42.52% 534 0.54% 1,710 1.74% 12,448 12.67% 98,228
Kings 8,068 49.11% 8,134 49.52% 107 0.65% 118 0.72% -66 -0.40% 16,427
Lake 5,317 58.18% 3,683 40.30% 46 0.50% 93 1.02% 1,634 17.88% 9,139
Lassen 2,494 44.93% 2,911 52.44% 44 0.79% 102 1.84% -417 -7.51% 5,551
Los Angeles 1,173,161 50.74% 1,095,899 47.40% 21,891 0.95% 21,312 0.92% 77,262 3.34% 2,312,263
Madera 6,205 48.94% 6,304 49.72% 73 0.58% 96 0.76% -99 -0.78% 12,678
Marin 43,092 56.56% 31,525 41.38% 939 1.23% 632 0.83% 11,567 15.18% 76,188
Mariposa 1,568 57.46% 1,111 40.71% 14 0.51% 36 1.32% 457 16.75% 2,729
Mendocino 9,134 53.33% 7,614 44.46% 126 0.74% 252 1.47% 1,520 8.88% 17,126
Merced 12,117 49.64% 11,840 48.50% 247 1.01% 207 0.85% 277 1.13% 24,411
Modoc 1,760 59.40% 1,138 38.41% 24 0.81% 41 1.38% 622 20.99% 2,963
Mono 1,350 73.09% 460 24.91% 21 1.14% 16 0.87% 890 48.19% 1,847
Monterey 33,691 56.63% 24,508 41.19% 722 1.21% 575 0.97% 9,183 15.43% 59,496
Napa 16,844 55.29% 13,018 42.73% 161 0.53% 442 1.45% 3,826 12.56% 30,465
Nevada 6,756 59.45% 4,442 39.09% 77 0.68% 89 0.78% 2,314 20.36% 11,364
Orange 308,982 66.89% 145,420 31.48% 2,981 0.65% 4,557 0.99% 163,562 35.41% 461,940
Placer 13,886 49.37% 13,751 48.89% 149 0.53% 342 1.22% 135 0.48% 28,128
Plumas 2,280 44.97% 2,678 52.82% 27 0.53% 85 1.68% -398 -7.85% 5,070
Riverside 81,768 56.60% 59,425 41.13% 1,735 1.20% 1,538 1.06% 22,343 15.47% 144,466
Sacramento 105,523 46.04% 120,365 52.52% 1,378 0.60% 1,925 0.84% -14,842 -6.48% 229,191
San Benito 3,134 59.54% 1,993 37.86% 90 1.71% 47 0.89% 1,141 21.68% 5,264
San Bernardino 107,219 56.57% 77,069 40.66% 2,946 1.55% 2,294 1.21% 30,150 15.91% 189,528
San Diego 253,378 60.11% 158,098 37.51% 4,161 0.99% 5,886 1.40% 95,280 22.60% 421,523
San Francisco 106,606 41.97% 140,829 55.44% 3,958 1.56% 2,625 1.03% -34,223 -13.47% 254,018
San Joaquin 50,631 55.25% 39,495 43.10% 682 0.74% 833 0.91% 11,136 12.15% 91,641
San Luis Obispo 18,301 55.84% 13,758 41.98% 292 0.89% 425 1.30% 4,543 13.86% 32,776
San Mateo 109,356 54.31% 88,069 43.74% 1,820 0.90% 2,121 1.05% 21,287 10.57% 201,366
Santa Barbara 51,523 60.10% 32,202 37.56% 1,362 1.59% 638 0.74% 19,321 22.54% 85,725
Santa Clara 172,562 51.47% 154,570 46.10% 4,683 1.40% 3,475 1.04% 17,992 5.37% 335,290
Santa Cruz 26,679 58.07% 18,186 39.58% 634 1.38% 445 0.97% 8,493 18.49% 45,944
Shasta 11,864 43.93% 14,643 54.22% 156 0.58% 343 1.27% -2,779 -10.29% 27,006
Sierra 617 46.92% 674 51.25% 7 0.53% 17 1.29% -57 -4.33% 1,315
Siskiyou 6,092 49.58% 5,920 48.18% 96 0.78% 180 1.46% 172 1.40% 12,288
Solano 21,939 48.43% 21,583 47.64% 774 1.71% 1,006 2.22% 356 0.79% 45,302
Sonoma 44,823 58.60% 29,953 39.16% 830 1.09% 881 1.15% 14,870 19.44% 76,487
Stanislaus 29,157 45.07% 34,510 53.34% 640 0.99% 391 0.60% -5,353 -8.27% 64,698
Sutter 9,084 64.48% 4,811 34.15% 76 0.54% 118 0.84% 4,273 30.33% 14,089
Tehama 5,500 52.46% 4,819 45.97% 55 0.52% 110 1.05% 681 6.50% 10,484
Trinity 1,643 50.21% 1,549 47.34% 15 0.46% 65 1.99% 94 2.87% 3,272
Tulare 27,564 57.69% 19,327 40.45% 432 0.90% 456 0.95% 8,237 17.24% 47,779
Tuolumne 4,567 53.74% 3,779 44.46% 88 1.04% 65 0.76% 788 9.27% 8,499
Ventura 63,790 58.64% 42,350 38.93% 1,343 1.23% 1,308 1.20% 21,440 19.71% 108,791
Yolo 12,344 41.01% 17,135 56.92% 338 1.12% 286 0.95% -4,791 -15.92% 30,103
Yuba 5,305 54.74% 4,258 43.93% 47 0.48% 82 0.85% 1,047 10.80% 9,692
Total 3,439,664 52.84% 2,938,607 45.14% 65,954 1.01% 65,847 1.01% 501,057 7.70% 6,510,072

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

  • 1970 Folsom Prison strike

References

  1. ^ a b c d California Secretary of State. Statement of Vote State of California Direct Primary Election, June 2, 1970. Sacramento, California. pp. 6–7. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  2. ^ "Obituary for Florence Vallejos Douglas". Escondido Times-Advocate. April 6, 1982. p. 19.
  3. ^ Fallows, James (December 15, 2009). "Raymond Haight Jr". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  4. ^ Ramos, George (July 31, 2000). "Heart of the Eastside". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  5. ^ a b California Secretary of State. Statement of Vote State of California General Election, November 3, 1970. Sacramento, California. p. 10. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
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